Venice Magic
by Ted Theodore Logan
Summary: A flash of light could mean something. As Prosper faints a flash of Light covers the man that is helping him. Now Scipio is a child again. There is a strange magic in Venice. What is causing it? Could Scipio be in danger?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

Cool down.

The city of Venice gleamed in the light of twilight. Looking out at the setting sun anyone would remember how beautiful this city could be. The water hit the shore lightly and the air of the town seemed enchanting. Tonight, however, this was unnatural. Prosper stood up and walked over to water. He removed his shoes and tipped his feet in. It cooled him down greatly.

Lately Prosper had been feeling quite hot. The air seemed heat up his body. Many times during the day he would stick his feet into the water and instantly feel cooler. He didn't know why this was happening. Suddenly his arm pained and he almost feel into the water. He grabbed his arm with his other hand and almost screamed as more pain shot through.

"_Buonasera_," A voice rang out behind Prosper. "What are you doing out here, Prop?"

Prosper looked up at Scipio. The adult looked down at Prosper and saw the look of pain on his face.

"Huh!" Scipio sounded confused as he looked at the arm Prosper was holding. "What's wrong?"

"My arm hurts really badly." Prosper said as he grimaced again.

Scipio sat next to Prosper and held up his arm. It was hard to see fully in the light of the setting sun but Scipio could see fine.

"There doesn't seem to be any markings." Scipio said. "Che strano, I see no cuts or bruises. Nothing!"

Prosper sighed. The pain had left his arm but he could still feel it throughout his entire body. Scipio pulled Prosper up and immediately the boy felt heat overwhelm him. He almost collapsed.

"Prosper, Prosper, are you alright?" Scipio's voice was heard as everything started to fade away. There was a flash of purple light and Prosper was lost in it.

…

"Prop, Prop, can you hear me?" Scipio said as the light hit him.

Scipio could feel the strangeness of the light and suddenly Prosper grew heavier. It seemed that the boy was growing larger as well. The entire world seemed to be growing. Scipio was now laying Prosper on the much closer ground.

"Victor," His voice sounded as small as he called for help. "Prosper needs you."

The door to Victor's house burst open.

"Who's calling me?" He called out and spotted Prosper on the ground. "Hello, Prosper? What's wrong?"

Prosper didn't move and nobody else was around. Nobody could have called for help but somebody obviously had. Victor picked up Prosper and took him into the house.

…

Scipio watched from the shadows as Prosper was brought away. He looked at his hands, his smaller hands. He was smiling as he felt his face. He was ready to jump for joy as he realized that he was no longer an adult. He had been changed into a child again.

"This is incredible." He whispered.

"Scipio," A voice called out. "Now where has he gone to?"

"Maybe he's sneaking about." A younger child suggested.

"What happened to Prosper?" The original voice of Ida Spavento asked.

"Maybe Victor knows."

Scipio ran down the alley silently. He had to find a place to stay. He didn't want anyone to see him until Prosper was better. But where could he hide until then? Duh, the Stella, his father's movie theater. Nobody would look for him there. Nobody had a key besides his father.

He wondered through the streets of Venice and into the Stella. The nighttime air felt new to Scipio. He felt like he was a new person. He felt fantastic to be his normal self again.

…

Prosper woke up as a cold cloth was placed on his forehead. He felt very weak and couldn't move.

"He's waking up!" Someone called out.

Bo appeared instantly at his side.

"Prop, are you feeling better?" His brother asked.

Prosper tried to talk but was unable. He moved his lips feebly and attempted to create sound. None could come.

"Victor, he can't talk!" Bo called out in horror. "Victor!"

Victor appeared with Ida Spavento and Hornet. Bo looked like he was going to cry and he gripped onto the sofa that Prosper realized he was lying on.

"Prosper? Are you really awake?" Victor asked as he moved toward the boy.

Prosper blinked to show that he was. Thirst had just washed over him and he tried to move. He needed them to know he wanted water.

"Maybe we should bring him some water." Ida said and she hurried from the room.

Prosper looked at his brother who still looked like he would cry. Prosper moved his lips. He wanted to smile. That would show Bo that he was alright. He lips were hard to control but eventually he did smile. Bo laughed. It was pretty funny to see Prosper try to smile.

Ida came back with the water and Bo placed the water by Prosper's lips. Prosper tried to suck the water in and Bo pushed it closer. The water spilled all over Prosper and some landed unexpectedly in Prosper's mouth. Prosper spat it up and sat up. He could move and felt very light.

"Prosper, are you okay?" Victor asked as Bo looked startled.

"I…think so." Prosper said.

"Do you remember what happened?" Ida asked.

"I went down to the water and stuck my feet in." Prosper began.

He told them about how he had pain in his arm. He mentioned how Scipio had come out and seen that he was in pain and tried to help him.

"Scipio was holding me and he were walking." Prosper was almost finished. "I felt a sudden wave of heat and there was a flash of light. Scipio placed me on the ground and called out something. He sounded different."

"And that's all."

Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"I know it doesn't make any sense but that's what I remember." Prosper said lying back on the sofa.

"I believe you." Bo said sweetly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Who are you?

Scipio turned on a small generator and the Stella lit up. He smiled as his reflection was seen in the mirror. He had seen that face in three years. He laughed joyfully and ran into one of the rooms. There were a few Kittens still lingering around. He smiled as he picked up one of the smallest and held it in his hands. Suddenly he heard a noise. He put the kitten down and began to climb up a rope to the wooden ledges above.

"Why are the lights on?" A voice from below asked. "You turned them off when you left, right?"

"Of course I did. What do you take me for Mosca? A fool?" Another voice asked.

"Well you are quite forgetful." Mosca said. "I think someone is in here."

It was quite for a second and Scipio clambered onto one of the ledges. He hadn't climbed a rope in three years. His arms were still aching from reaching the top.

_ Meow _

"Did you hear that?" Mosca said as a cat slinked into the room.

"That's just a cat Mosca." The other boy said. "No one is in here and no one will be in here. We've lived here for years. Nobody else has a key."

"Dotter Massimo had a key." Mosca said. "Remember Riccio?"

"I told you I snuck into his house and took it. He _had_ a key but now he doesn't."

Scipio's large shoe fell from his foot and landed hard into a pile of junk below. He gasped. He wished he had taken those shoes off when he was still on the streets.

"What was that?" Mosca asked as he went to examine it.

"Another cat." Riccio said with certainty.

Mosca picked the shoe up and handed it to Riccio.

"Do you remember this being here when we left?" He asked as Riccio shook his head. "Exactly,"

Mosca reached for a flashlight and aimed it around the halls. He didn't see anything. As he turned the rope fluttered in his face and he looked up. Another rope was in a pile by Scipio's left hand. Maybe it he grabbed the rope he could swing to another platform. Mosca shined the flashlight up as Scipio gripped onto the rope.

"THERE'S THE INTRUDER!" Mosca shouted as Scipio swung on the rope as hard as he could.

His feet touched the next ledge but he wasn't able to land on it sturdily. He had already let go of the rope and the flashlight was shinning on his legs as he gripped the edge of the ledge and tried to pull himself up.

"It's a kid!" Riccio exclaimed.

"It's still an Intruder." Mosca said. "A dirty little thief!"

"You're forgetting," Riccio said. "You and I are thieves."

Scipio managed to pull his legs up onto the ledge and hide in the shadows where the flashlight couldn't reach. He sat down and tried to catch his breath. He couldn't be seen. Nobody needed to know until prosper knew.

…

"Scipio wasn't there when I arrived." Victor said. "You were alone. I heard someone calling out for help b…"

"That was Scipio." Prosper said. "He sounded different. Maybe it was because he was panicking."

Victor and Ida looked at Prosper as if his story was way too farfetched to believe.

"It's the truth." Prosper continued to defend this. "Scipio was there."

Suddenly Prospers arm hurt. He hid the pain with an angry glare at the others.

"If you don't believe me I'll go find him." Prosper said as he rushed out of the room and out the front door.

As soon as he left the presence of everybody he grimaced in pain.

"Not cool," He muttered.

Another wave of pain passed his arm

"_Merda_!" He exclaimed and he walked fast through the streets of Venice trying to shake off his pain.

…

"Whoever you are, get down here!" Mosca shouted

"No!" Scipio said sounding childish. "I'd rather stay up here."

Mosca and Riccio began whispering and Scipio couldn't hear what they were saying. He leaned closer but realized if they point the Flashlight up here they could see him. There was a loud knock on the door of the Stella.

"Riccio, go see who that is!" Mosca said.

"I'm not your servant." Riccio replied.

Foot steps indicated that Riccio had indeed complied with Mosca's order.

"Who are you?" Mosca demanded. "Why do you sound so familiar?"

"I'm your inner voice." Scipio replied as the flashlight hit the ceiling above him. "Mosca, I've come to tell you that you need to stop perusing me."

"You must think I'm really dumb to believe that you're my "inner voice"." Mosca said with an attitude.

"Mosca, we have a visitor." Riccio had returned.

"I told you not to allow anyone into the theater." Mosca said but gasped at their visitor. "Prosper, what do you want?"

Scipio tried to look over the edge at Prosper but couldn't find a way to without getting caught.

"I've been looking for Scipio." Prosper said. "He ran away after helping me out. I would like to thank him."

…

Prosper entered the Stella not knowing what to expect. He was surprised that his hunch about Riccio being here was right. In the distance he could hear Mosca talking to someone.

"Prosper, what do you want?" Mosca asked sounding surprised.

"I've been looking for Scipio, He ran away after helping me out. I would like to thank him."

Prosper looked up to where Mosca was shinning the flashlight.

"What are you looking at?" Prosper asked. "Is someone up there?"

"Yeah," Mosca said. "I don't know who. We didn't see his face."

"I am the ghost of this theater." Scipio said trying to sound sarcastic though he was in shock.

Prosper was better. Prosper was here. Was he thinking just like Scipio had been?

"Stop playing games!" Riccio demanded. "Who are you? Tell us now!"

"If I told you I'd have to kill you!" Scipio said as he stood up and jumped to the next ledge close by.

Mosca moved the flashlight but Scipio was too fast for him. He jumped to the next one and the next and Mosca tried to catch him with the flashlights. Scipio could tell that Mosca was getting angry at him now.

"You're not good at this game. Are you?" Scipio said sounding really smug.

He laughed in a maniacal way that no one had heard before. He was surprised that he could laugh like that. He grabbed onto the cables hanging from the ceiling and swung across like they were vines in a jungle. Scipio felt so great right now. He hadn't been able to do this kind of thing for three years.

"I'm getting annoyed." Prosper said and he began to walk away.

Scipio couldn't let him go. Prosper had to be the first to see Scipio as he once was again. He quickly picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could. It hit Prosper on the side of the head and the boy stopped. Prosper looked up in the direction in which the rock was thrown.

"STOP!" Prosper yelled as pain shot through his arm again.

There was a flash of light and Riccio and Mosca stopped moving. But Scipio hadn't. He jumped over the next few ledges and landed on the one right above Prosper.

"Are you okay?" Scipio asked not looking over the edge.

"Who are you?" Prosper said. "What just happened to my friends?"

Scipio looked at Prosper as the pain began to lessen in the boys arm. He sighed and then looked over the edge. Prosper gasped as he stared at the face so firmiliar.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

No longer a man

Boniface sat in his room. He wondered where Prosper could have gone. He was trying to prove that Scipio had been there. Scipio had been missing for a while. Prosper had been out for nearly four hours. If Scipio had been there why hadn't he come forward about it?

Bo Sighed. Well this was unfortunate. His brother could have disappeared just like Scipio had.

…

Prosper stared at Scipio and gasped. He no longer looked like a man. He was a boy again. Scipio smiled slightly and grasped the rope next to the ledge. He slid down next to Prosper who backed away slowly.

"How…how is this possible?" Prosper asked staring down his friend.

"Well I wanted you to be the first to know." Scipio said. "When you passed out there was a light coming from somewhere. The light might have changed me back."

"But…I thought that the only way to change back was the Merry Go Round." Prosper said taking another step away from the boy. "The Merry go round is gone."

Scipio shrugged.

"I remember there was a light coming from around us. You started to get heavier and I called out to Victor but he couldn't see me. I didn't want him to see that I had changed back." Scipio explained.

Prosper nodded but couldn't see why Scipio didn't want Victor to know.

"I wont tell anyone." Prosper said. "But what about them?" He asked pointing to the two frozen boys.

Scipio jumped from the ledge. "Let me leave the theater. They can't see me."

He ran from the theater and Prosper took a deep breath. Time started again and Mosca and Riccio were moving again.

"Tell Us who you are!" Riccio demanded but no reply came.

"Maybe he's not there anymore." Prosper suggested and Mosca glared at the last spot he was sighted.

"We have to find that intruder." Riccio said. "He knows we are living here. He'll tell Dotter Massimo. "

"I remember his voice." Prosper said. "I'll help look for him."

…

Scipio started towards the boat he had hid in the water. He was going to go to the Isle that the merry-go-round had been, the place that was responsible for him being an adult. But he was no longer an adult. No, something in that light had turned him back to a teenage boy. If his father, the Dotter, caught him than he would be in so much trouble. After all of these years his father still had no idea that he never left the city.

"My dad can't see me." He muttered. "He'd be furious at me."

The boat drifted slowly to the Isle and he got off. He took a step and realized he could hear someone talking.

"The boy did magic." A man said. "I saw him. You were right."

"What does that mean for us?" another voice was heard.

Scipio heard the men getting closer to him. Branches crunched under their feet. He jumped into a bush nearby. The branches prickled his arms and legs as he listened to the two men who seemed to not notice that there he sat.

"We could recruit the boy," the first man said

"What about that friend of his?" The second man asked. "He's a witness to the magic."

Scipio tried not to inhale as they mentioned magic. He heard confusion in their voices and felt someone grip his hair. He was pulled out of the bush and closed his eyes in pain.

…

"Bo? You're still up aren't you?" Hornet's voice rang out in the dark room.

"Si," Bo said. "Come Stai, Hornet?"

"I'm okay." Hornet said. "But you don't seem to be."

Bo shook his head. He was thinking of Prosper. He feared that his brother was in danger.

"Can we look for Prosper?" He asked. "He might be at the Stella."

Hornet sat beside him. Her braid was over her shoulder. He couldn't believe the expression on her face. It was speaking for her and told him that they would not be looking for Prosper tonight.

"I understand your worry for your brother but he ran off on his own." Hornet said. "He doesn't want us to go after him."

"He wants us to believe him." Boniface argued. "I do believe him. Scipio must have been there because now he's missing."

…

Prosper and Riccio walked across the square paying no heed to the drunken tourists that wobbled along the streets. Riccio was intent on finding the boy that had snuck into the theater and learned of their secret living space while Prosper was intent on leading everyone away from Scipio. He didn't even know where Scipio was, which mad it totally difficult.

Mosca had went to find the boat that he and Riccio had bought. He pulled off the cover and jumped inside. He didn't know why but he felt it right to go to the Island that Scipio and Prosper had gone to years ago to meet the conte. The Island was quickly in site.

Mosca left the boat and climbed onto the Island. He had never been to the Island but it wasn't as he expected. It seemed quiet. He walked farther in and found a house. He looked inside the window where two men in black cloaks hovering over a boy who looked oddly firmilliar.

…

**AN: Thanks for reading this chapter. It took me a while to decide what I was going to do. Please Review. Thanks for the support.**

**~Ted Theodore Logan**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"So," One of the men who had taken Scipio said as they sat in the small shack. "Have you been spying on us or were you just enjoying the sites of this Isle?"

Scipio shook his head at the men. He was quite afraid of them. They were much bigger than him but they couldn't have his wits or brains. They had barely even tied him up right. He could, if he wanted to, get out of these bonds quite easily. He, however didn't yet have an escape route.

"Spying, seniore?" He asked softy "No, of course not. I just came to the Island to check something out."

It may not have been such a good choice of words, but, he wasn't lying. He couldn't tell the men why he had come to the Isle. They need not know. He was, however, thinking about what they had said earlier. It seemed like they were talking about him and Prosper.

But was it because of that flash of light? Was it because Prosper had returned him to his real age? Was it because Prosper had seemed to stop time when they were in the Stella and that it seemed his friend could use magic? How could these men know that all of these things had happened?

They didn't even know Prosper or himself.

"What did you come to check?" One of the men asked. "Did you come to see that Merry Go Round of yours? You knew it was broken!"

Scipio shook his head. How could these men possibly know about the Merry Go Round that had changed Scipio into an adult?

"Then what was it?" The second man asked.

Scipio shook his head again. It was none of their business. They didn't own this Isle, they didn't have any authority.

…

Mosca watched the boy and the men. What were they talking about and why did the boy seem so familiar? If only the boy would move his head so that he could properly see his face.

The boy looked like he was in distress. He was, after all, tied up with two large men standing there and these men looked rather menacing. Mosca tried to hear what they were saying and stayed as quite as her could.

"That's my business," The familiar voice rang out.

"It's our business now, boy," One of the men could be heard saying. "You're trespassing here."

The boy was shaking his head. "You don't own the Isle!"

"We might as well," The other man said.

Mosca watched. If only the boy would turn his head a little more. Maybe He should go an help him. These men were much larger than him and he could use the help. Mosca picked up a big rock and threw it at the glass window.

It shattered and Mosca ducked into a bush so he would not be seen. Why had he done that? It wasn't very smart of him.

"What was that?" One of the men was asking and they were getting close to the window to examine it.

Mosca could see inside of the house. The boy was undoing the poorly tied ropes and threw them off of himself. Mosca could not see clearly the boy's face from this angle. He kicked out one of the other windows and the attention from the men returned on him.

"He must be like that little friend of his!" One man exclaimed.

The boy jumped out of this window and began to run from the house. Mosca watched him and tried his best to sneak away back to his boat. That was where the boy was running. Mosca could see him.

The boy kicked one of the boats out into the water and it floated away. Mosca began to approach him as he kicked another of the boats which floated away.

"I'm borrowing your boat," The boy said without even turning to Mosca. "They can't get back to Venice."

"How am I going to get back to Venice?" Mosca asked softly.

"I guess you could come with me but hurry," The boy said stepping into the boat. "They're coming."

"You guess I could come?" Mosca stamped angrily. "This is my boat!"

The men were appearing in the distance.

"Hurry up!"

Mosca pushed the boat off and hopped into it. They began to float back towards Venice with the men shouting behind them. Mosca grumbled at the stranger.

"Who are you?"

…

Prosper lead Riccio to Victor's house after they had looked for a few hours through the streets. Riccio looked up at Victor's house and shook his head.

"Why are we here Prop?" He asked softly.

"I want you to go and talk to Victor about this person that is lurking around," Prosper said softly. "Please? I need to go out to find Scipio. They haven't seen him for a while."

Riccio looked at Prosper and nodded hesitantly. He stepped up the steps to Victor's office and knocked on the door softly.

"Come in," He heard and opened the door.

Victor looked up from his desk and wore a shocked expression on his face. He had obviously not been expecting to see Riccio.

"I would like to tell you that there is a person lurking around the Stella and I want to know who they are," Riccio spit it out rather fast.

Victor eyed him. "This suspicious person doesn't happen to be you or Mosca, does it?"

Riccio stiffly shook his head. He didn't have much of a taste for talking to adults especially detectives like Victor.

Victor nodded his head softly and then looked at Riccio. "So, can you describe this person?"

Riccio told Victor about the person he had seen at the theater although he hadn't seen him much at all. He had only seen his hair color.

…

Prosper stood by the waterfront knowing that Scipio must be returning soon. He saw the boat approaching but two people were inside of it. Mosca and Scipio both had their backs to each other. Prosper wondered if Mosca knew who was riding in the boat with him.

He waved Scipio down and the boy turned the boat in that direction. They were headed to the shore and Mosca was now staring at Prosper with a confused look. He obviously didn't know that Prosper would be down by the shore to welcome him back.

Prosper hadn't even known that.

Scipio was waving back and Mosca kept trying to get glances at the other boys face but Scipio would turn his head slightly or tuck it into his chest. They landed on the shore besides the spot that Prosper was standing.

AN: I feel like this took forever to update but I am glad that I did. I really love the reviews. I had help with this chapter from my new partner, Bill S. Preston Esquire. I hope you guys enjoyed and please keep leaving reviews. I appreciate them a lot more than you might know.

~Ted Theodore Logan


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five:

Prosper waved them in. Mosca stared at him in confusion. He knew the man driving the boat? How could that be?

"Prop," Scipio said. "They had me captured on that Isle."

Prosper's mouth dropped. "They? Why did 'they' capture you?"

"They were talking about you, Prop," Scipio replied.

Prosper stared at Scipio. Neither boy said a word for a second. Mosca, who had been tying up his boat, looked over at the two of them.

"Can someone explain to me what's going on?" He asked.

"We'll explain later," Scipio said. "Prop, Mosca, follow me."

Scipio began to dash through the city. Prosper followed instantly but Mosca hesitated.

"What is it, Mosca?" Prosper asked.

"Who is this guy and how does he know my name?" Mosca asked.

"We don't have time for an explanation!"

Prosper grabbed Mosca's wrist and pulled him after Scipio. Mosca, reluctantly, eventually ran as well. The winding streets of Venice were not very crowded at this time. It made navigation easier.

Scipio ran straight to the Stella. He unlocked the door.

"In!" He instructed not turning to face Prosper and Mosca.

He himself clambered into the theater. Once the other two boys were in and the door was locked, Scipio began to pace.

"Who are you!" Mosca demanded.

Scipio shook his head and looked at Prosper.

"I'm sure they're going to come after me," He said. "Prop, it was some weird business."

"What kind of weird, Scip?" Prosper asked.

"They were talking about magic!" Scipio explained. "It was as if it was real. They were talking about you as if you were the one who possessed it. I was scared for my life when they discovered me lurking in the bush nearby."

"Scip?" Mosca questioned. "Scipio?"

Again, Scipio ignored him. He was looking at Prosper with wild eyes. Prosper was thinking to himself trying to find a way for this all to make a bit of sense.

"That explains it then," Prosper whispered.

"Explains what?" Scipio asked.

"That night," Prosper looked up at his friend. "That night when I was feeling ill. I felt this burning in my arm. It's the same arm that the piece from the Merry-go-round hit."

"So, what are you suggesting?" Scipio asked.

"The Merry-go-round transferred its power to me," Prosper said softly. "It's ridiculous but it's the only idea that I have."

"What is going on?" Mosca exclaimed desperately.

"Hello, Mosca," Scipio rounded on him. "It is I, Scipio."

AN:

Okay, so this was rather short. I'm working on a few other things at the moment. It's all school related stuff. I can't update as often as I want to. Please review. I enjoy reading those reviews. I will update soon. I promise!

~Ted Theodore Logan


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